Resolution_2025 Kittitas County Hazard Mitigation Plan

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2025 Hazard Mitigation Plan Kittitas County, Washington Chapter 5: Mitigation Strategy 220 of this Plan, the County, through the Flood Control Zone District, educates private owners about flood insurance, building elevation, and building retrofit options for property at flood risk. The Kittitas County Conservation District offers free home risk assessments to help landowners incorporate Firewise planning into existing and developing homesites and communities. The Kittitas Fire Adapted Communities Coalition, which many of the annexes have joined, works across property ownerships to accelerate the pace and scale of restoration and for wildfire mitigation. The City of Ellensburg has identified the need to conduct a seismic retrofit of critical facilities. CWU identified specific vulnerabilities and impacts associated with seismically vulnerable buildings (Section 9 of the CWU Annex). Among the six (6) highest ranking hazards, the Steering Committee identified property protection activities, as appropriate, for the following hazards – wildfire, winter weather, earthquake, flood, and strong winds/damaging winds (Table 5-2). 5.2.3. Natural Resource Protection Natural resource protection activities preserve or restore natural areas and their natural functions. For flood risks these include floodplain and watershed areas; however, vegetation cover, type, and health can also provide protection against other hazards such as wildfire and landslides. Examples include: • Wetland Protection • Erosion and Sediment Control • Natural Area Restoration • Water Quality Improvement • Forest Health Treatments • Environmental Corridors • Natural Functions Protection • Forest fire resiliency treatments Steering Committee Discussion: Of the 25,227 acres (within Unincorporated Kittitas County) mapped within the SFHA, approximately 20% of this land is designated and managed for open space uses or is owned by state or local governmental entities. The Flood Control Zone District has conducted and utilized reach-scale river flood assessments to inform acquisition priorities given channel migration and flood risk. Management of Flood Control Zone District properties also prioritizes natural resource protection. Additionally, Critical Area and Shoreline regulations focus on the protection of wetland function, riparian health, natural riverine processes, and fish and wildlife habitat. Forest health, including factors such as drought stress, bark beetle susceptibility, and maintaining forest stand structure and composition consistent with a natural fire disturbance regime can make forests less susceptible to large-scale catastrophic fires. Forest fire resiliency treatments such as prescribed burns and mechanical thinning are important tools for preserving natural resource protection. Among the six (6) highest ranking hazards, the Steering Committee identified natural resource protection activities, as appropriate, for the following hazards – wildfire and flood (Table 5-2). 5.2.4. Emergency Services Emergency services measures are taken during an emergency to minimize the impacts of the hazard. These measures are usually the responsibility of city and/or county emergency management staff, emergency response providers, and the owners or operators of major critical facilities. Examples include: • Hazard Threat Recognition • Hazard Warning • Hazard Response Operations • Health and Safety Maintenance • Post-Disaster Mitigation Actions • Evacuation Planning and Management